7 Notable Female Role Models from Rivers State

Blessing Enenaite Featured 19/03/2021

Women are blazing the trail in various sectors in Nigeria and beyond. They have a desire to make a name for themselves and impact on their communities in general.

These women display diligence, focus, determination, and excellence. And for this reason, NRTC recognizes the efforts of these outstanding women.

Previously on this feature, we travelled to Delta, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, and Imo States. However, in this edition, Blessing Enanaite takes us on a journey to Rivers State.

1. Mercy Akide-Udoh

Akide-Udoh was born on August 26, 1975. She is a former footballer and captain of the Nigeria’s Super Falcons. The nation women’s football team won a series of trophies during her captaincy.

Her love of sports started at an early age and she competed with individuals that were older than her. However, she excelled in football and enjoyed a flourishing career with clubs in Nigeria and abroad between 1988 and 2006.

Mercy representing Nigeria (Source: Twitter/FIFAWWC)

Her talent did not go unnoticed. She was named the first African Woman Footballer of the Year in 2001. In 1999 and 2004, she made it to the FIFA World All-Star. She featured in three FIFA Women’s World Cups for Nigeria. Also, she helped the Super Falcons to win three African Women Championships (AWC) titles in 1998, 2000 and 2002.

In 2005, FIFA named her as one of its 15 Ambassadors for Women’s Football. She is married to football journalist, Colin Udoh.

2. Monalisa Chinda

Monalisa Chinda is an actress, film producer and media personality. She was born on September 13, 1974.

She is an alumnus of Army Children’s School GRA and Archdeacon Crowther Memorial Girls’ School, Elelenwo, both in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Chinda is a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Port Harcourt, also in Rivers State. She featured in her first major movie in 1996. However, she has since starred in several others.

In 2007, she also played a formidable role in the television soap, Heavens Gate. She is among the first five Nollywood actors to grace the cover of Hollywood Weekly Magazine in 2012. Monalisa is also a consultant with Royal Arts Academy – a media school renowned for breeding new talent in the movie industry.

In 2010, she was nominated for Best Actress in a drama series at the Terracotta TV and Film Awards. However, she won the Best Actress, Afro Hollywood Award 2009 at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.

3. Mercy Chinwo

Chinwo was born in Port Harcourt on September 5, 1990. She is a gospel musician, singer and songwriter.

She gained fame when she won the Nigerian Idol Season 2 in 2012. Her first single – Testimony – was released in 2015. She signed to Gospel Music Label, EeZee Conceptz in 2017. Beyond singing, Chinwo showed her acting prowess in House of Gold, a movie produced by Yvonne Nelson.

n 2018, she was awarded the Best Gospel Artiste at the CLIMAX Awards 2018. In 2019, she bagged the following awards at the inaugural Africa Gospel Awards Festival (AGAFEST 2019): Africa Gospel New Artiste of the Year, Africa Gospel Female Artiste of the Year, and Africa Gospel Song of the Year for Excess Love.

4. Chioma Opara

Opara is an author and academician whose work majorly focuses on West African feminism. She is a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Humanities at Rivers State University.

She was born on May 23, 1951. Opara is a known activist for humanities education in Nigeria. Her work in studies of gender has gained prominence in Africa.

She got her Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Furthermore, she obtained her diploma in French Studies from the University of Dakar. She also got her Ph.D. in English from the University of Ibadan.

At the university where she lectures, she was tagged “the English woman” due to her expertise in the English language and literature.

Read Also: 7 Notable Female Role Models from Delta State

5. Faith Michael

Faith Michael (née Ikidi) is a Nigerian footballer born on February 28, 1987 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

She has helped the Super Falcons of Nigeria to win many trophies over the years after joining the senior national team in 2004. In 2016, she made the list of first set of Africans to play in the Swedish Championship.

In 2015, she won the Damallsvenskan Defender of the Year with her team, Piteå IF. Her football skills and level of diligence have also helped her team win some highly coveted trophies.

6. Hilda Dokubo

Hilda Dokubo is a veteran actress, activist and youth advocate. She is the first of six children and was born and raised in Buguma, a town in Rivers State.

Hilda got her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Theatre Arts from the University of Port Harcourt. Her acting career started when she featured in her first film in 1992 titled Evil Passion.

Dokubo is the founder of Centre for Creative Arts Education (CREATE), a non-governmental organisation that uses creative arts to empower women and youths.

In 2015, she won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2015 Africa Movie Academy Awards. Likewise, she won the Outstanding Female Act in a Film at the 12th Abuja International Film Festival.

Consequently, she was the former special adviser on youth affairs to the Peter Odili, a former governor of Rivers State.

7. Ann-Kio Briggs

Ann-Kio Briggs is an environmental and human rights activist. She was born on July 29, 1952 in England. She is the founder and executive director of Agape Birthrights, a non-governmental organisation.

Agape Birthrights seeks to help developing areas in her region to clean oil spills and fight against injustices and marginalisation.

In 2011, she was made the 2011 spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA) and the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS).

Briggs regularly speaks for her people and seeks ways to improve their overall well-being.